What if dinner could be fresh, delicious, and stress-free—without hours in the kitchen?

In this episode of The Perfect Bite podcast, host Sarah Perkins sits down with David Rabie, co-founder and CEO of Tovala, the smart steam-powered countertop oven and meal service that reimagined home cooking. From humble prototypes to being named one of Oprah’s Favorite Things, Tovala has grown into a national brand that’s changing the way people cook at home.

David shares the full journey:

• Growing up with home-cooked meals and discovering the power of food
• Early career lessons at Veggie Grill and running a frozen yogurt chain
• The “aha moment” that sparked Tovala’s smart oven technology
• Navigating Y Combinator as a food + hardware startup
• Landing on Oprah’s Favorite Things list and scaling nationally
• Balancing fundraising challenges, consumer trust, and profitability
• His best advice for entrepreneurs in food tech and beyond

Whether you’re a foodie, a startup founder, or someone looking for smarter ways to cook at home, this episode is packed with insights on innovation, perseverance, and building a consumer brand that lasts.

You can order a Tovala oven and sign up for the meal service at www.tovala.com.

Follow Tovala on Instagram at @tovalafood and your other favorite social media platforms.

Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!

You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for the newsletter on Substack!

What happens when you mix hometown pride, bold flavors, and decades of CPG experience? You get Local Style Potato Chips, Chicago’s favorite foods reimagined in snackable form.

This week on The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Laura Gardner, founder of Local Style, to talk about her journey from Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo to launching a startup that has Chicago buzzing.

Laura shares how memories of eating Better Made chips with her grandmother and a honeymoon in Japan enjoying unique chip flavors sparked the idea for Local Style, how she brought iconic flavors like Italian Beef, Chicago Hot Dog, Deep Dish Pizza, and Hot Giardiniera to life, and why entrepreneurship in her 40s was the right move.

We also dive into:

• How Local Style exploded from 12 to 140+ retailers in just four months
• What it’s like to build a business with your spouse
• Laura’s viral Local Style packaging dress at the James Beard Awards
• The power of Chicago pride in food entrepreneurship
• Her advice for anyone ready to finally take the leap into building their dream

If you love snacks, debating Chicago foods, or entrepreneurial stories full of resilience and creativity, you won’t want to miss this episode.

To learn more and order Local Style nationwide, head to www.localstylechips.com. You also can order Local Style on Here Here Market nationwide at www.hereheremarket.com.

Follow Local Style on Instagram and Tiktok @localstylechips.

Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!

You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and sign up for the newsletter on Substack!

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Food is heritage, healing, and storytelling — and in her new cookbook Dal Chawal, Sapna Punjabi brings all of that to life.

In this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Sarah Perkins sits down with Sapna Punjabi — registered dietitian, culinary educator, and founder of beSPICED— to talk about her journey from Mumbai to Texas, how Ayurveda shapes her philosophy of food, and the inspiration behind her debut cookbook Dal Chawal.

Sapna shares:

• Why she wrote Dal Chawal and how it celebrates Indian food traditions
• Everyday ways to bring Ayurveda practices into your kitchen
• The importance of rituals, family, and storytelling in food
• How she built a business rooted in heritage and wellness

This episode is a beautiful reminder that food is more than fuel — it’s connection, culture, and healing.

👉 Dal Chawal is available now wherever books are sold.

You can learn more about beSPICED, Sapna’s products, Dal Chawal, and her courses at www.bespiced.com.

You can follow Sapna on Instagram @be.spiced and her YouTube channel. In California? View Sapna’s upcoming book tour dates and locations here!

Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!

You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I was so honored to join Colleen Silk on Hospitality Bites! You can listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Captivate. Read more about our chat below:

In this episode of Hospitality Bites, host Colleen Silk sits down with Sarah Perkins, Cherry Bombe member, founder of Perkins Creative Consulting, and host of The Perfect Bite podcast.

Sarah shares her journey from working as the “phone girl” at a pizzeria to building a career rooted in storytelling, creativity, and entrepreneurship. From being ahead of her time in the fashion swap era as a younger, successful startup founder, navigating the tech space, to now finding happiness and success in sharing conversations with strangers turned friends.

Together, Colleen and Sarah explore the heart of the food and beverage industry: connection, storytelling, and the power of personal journeys.

What We Discussed

• Sarah’s first job in hospitality (and what being a pizzeria “phone girl” taught her).
• How childhood storytelling and writing shaped her career.
• The role of food media and consulting in amplifying voices in hospitality.
• Why human connection is the heartbeat of hospitality.
• Colleen’s own shift from the front-of-house to food media.
• The shared values that make the hospitality industry unique.

Episode Takeaways

• Hospitality is about more than food—it’s about caring for people and creating connection.
• Storytelling is a powerful tool for elevating food and beverage businesses.
• Everyone takes a different path into hospitality, and each story has value.
• Transitioning from hands-on roles to media or consulting can open new creative doors.
• Passion and community fuel the food and beverage industry.

Chapters

1. 01:35 Introduction and Background
2. 02:12 Early Career and Education
3. 05:40 Founding the Fashion Rental Startup
4. 08:29 Transition to Food and Beverage
5. 09:24 Becoming a Marketing Consultant
6. 13:32 Podcasting and Storytelling
7. 16:46 Challenges and Lessons Learned
8. 27:29 Future Goals and Aspirations

#HospitalityBitesPodcast #HospitalityEntrepreneur #WomenInHospitality #HospitalityLeadership #FemaleFounders #FoodAndBeverageIndustry #CherryBombe #PerfectBitePodcast #BusinessOfFood #FoodStorytelling

About Hospitality Bites:

Hosted by Colleen Silk, Hospitality Bites is an honest and restorative space for voices within the hospitality industry. More than just a podcast, it serves as a storytelling platform for changemakers, risk-takers, and hospitality professionals who are approaching their work in innovative ways. Each episode features guests ranging from chefs to advocates and media personalities, focusing on mental and physical health, personal experiences, and the realities of thriving in the hospitality industry and beyond.

New episodes of Hospitality Bites drop every Monday, now proudly under the Walk-In Talk Media umbrella.

Watch the full episode on YouTube the following week.

Want to get involved or learn more? Visit HospitalityBites.com

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What do food, sports, and determination have in common? For Chef Dan Jacobs (DanDan, EsterEv, James Beard-recognized Top Chef alum) and Chicago pizza and media entrepreneur Billy Zureikat (Tripping Billy), they’re the foundation of friendship, creativity, and their new podcast Over the Line.

In this episode of The Perfect Bite podcast, host Sarah Perkins dives into Dan and Billy’s incredible stories:

• Dan’s journey from Door County line cook to co-owner of Milwaukee’s acclaimed restaurants DanDan and EsterEv
• Billy’s path from ESPN Radio producer to pizza entrepreneur and ambassador raising $75,000+ for the Muscular Dystrophy Association
• How both navigate life and entrepreneurship while living with chronic illnesses (Kennedy’s Disease and Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy)
• Why they launched Over the Line, blending food and sports conversations
• Their thoughts on media, community, resilience, and what it really means to pivot in life and business

This conversation is about more than food — it’s about finding purpose, reinventing yourself, and building community.

You can follow Dan Jacobs on social media @chefdanjacobs and learn more at www.chefdanjacobs.com.

You can follow Billy Zureikat on social media @therealbillyz and learn more at www.trippingbillyz.com.

Listen and subscribe to Over The Line on any of your favorite podcast platforms. You can follow the podcast on social media @otlwithdanandbilly.

If you’d like to learn more and support the causes discussed today, visit www.mda.org (Muscular Dystrophy Association) and www.kennedysdisease.org (Kennedy’s Disease).

Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!

You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if restaurants could understand every guest and their personal preferences across reservations, private dining, e-commerce, and events — all in one place? That’s the vision behind Panso, the 360 degree hospitality CRM platform founded by Britney Ziegler.

On this episode of The Perfect Bite podcast, I sit down with Britney to talk about her journey from working alongside celebrity chefs and food icons like David Burke, Carla Hall, and Molly Baz, to launching a startup that’s reshaping how restaurants build customer loyalty and future-proof their business.

Britney shares:

• How her early experiences in restaurants inspired her path into food and hospitality tech
• Lessons learned from working with celebrity chefs and food entrepreneurs
• Why she built Panso, a hospitality CRM that gives restaurants a true 360° view of their guests
• The challenges (and wins) of being a woman founder in the restaurant tech space
• How restaurants can boost customer retention, loyalty, and growth through smarter data and personalized experiences

Whether you’re a restaurant operator, food tech entrepreneur, or hospitality professional, you’ll walk away with insights on customer experience, innovation, and building a mission-driven business.

✨ Listen now to learn how Panso is helping restaurants thrive in 2025 and beyond.

You can learn more about Panso at www.hellopanso.com.

You can follow Panso at @hellopanso on Instagram.

You can follow Britney Ziegler on LinkedIn.

Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!

You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.

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What does it really take to get a cookbook published today? I sat down with Sally Ekus, lead of and senior literary agent at The Ekus Group (now a division of JVNLA), to explore the intersection of food, publishing, and entrepreneurship.

Sally has spent over 16 years representing cookbook authors, chefs, food writers, and culinary thought leaders, helping them bring their unique stories and recipes to print. She shares how publishing has evolved from the days of Julia Child and Emeril Lagasse to the era of TikTok food creators, Substack writers, and BookTok trends.

• How cookbook publishing really works today—pitching, proposals, and what agents look for
• Why an author’s platform and audience matter as much as their expertise
• The role of Instagram, TikTok, newsletters, and Substack in discovering new food writers
• The shift from big book tours to digital discoverability
• Advice for chefs, restaurateurs, and food entrepreneurs who want to publish their first cookbook
• Why repurposing content (from newsletters to older podcast episodes) is key for longevity
• The importance of mentorship, patience, and persistence in publishing and entrepreneurship

Sally leads The Ekus Group, a boutique literary agency specializing in cookbooks and culinary talent. With a background in sociology, she brings a unique perspective to agenting—blending negotiation skills with deep care for authors’ stories. She also writes the popular Substack “Not So Secret Agent,” where she offers transparent insights into the publishing world.

• Follow Sally on Instagram: @sallyekus
• The Ekus Group / JVNLA: @ekusgroup, @jvnla
• Subscribe to Sally’s Substack: Not So Secret Agent

Subscribe to The Perfect Bite podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen!

Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!

You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.

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It’s no secret: The best entrepreneurs tackle problems they inherently understand. In Matt Jennings’s case, that’s how he built MAJC.ai, to tackle one of the hospitality industry’s biggest problems: how to recruit, retain, and develop strong teams in restaurants and beyond.

Matt is a serial entrepreneur through and through: From being a five-time James Beard Foundation–nominated chef, to running his own restaurants and Full Heart Hospitality group, to now tech founder and podcast host. We explore how his decades in food and restaurants inspired him to create a platform designed to transform the future of hospitality. Matt really does have the magic in him!

To join the MAJC community (for free!) and learn more, head to www.majc.ai.

You can follow MAJC on social media @majc.ai and Matt on Instagram @matthewjennings.

Listen to MAJC’s podcasts Restaurant Ready or Serving Success anywhere you listen to podcasts, or watch the episodes on YouTube!

Want to watch the entire episode? Head here to our YouTube!

Make sure to subscribe, rate and review The Perfect Bite anywhere you listen to podcasts.

You can follow us on social media @perfectbitepod and visit our site www.theperfectbitepod.com.

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